What We Do in the Shadows: Citizenship
May 16, 2019 1:23 PM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Nadja trains her little, stupid baby vampire how to crawl and eat, and Nandor applies for American citizenship.
What We Do in the Shadows Episode 8 Review: Citizenship -- A young mortal steps into vampire life as an ancient vampire forges a new dark alliance in What We Do in the Shadows' "Citizenship."
What We Do in the Shadows Episode 8 Review: Citizenship -- A young mortal steps into vampire life as an ancient vampire forges a new dark alliance in What We Do in the Shadows' "Citizenship."
What We Do in the Shadows, episode 8, "Citizenship," continues to expose vampire myths to the sunlight of mocking documentation. Although, tonight they only do this in short bursts, not the fully lethal way the series dispensed with Baron Afanas (Doug Jones) after his night on the town (FanFare).
Definitely pick Antifa
posted by ckape at 2:43 PM on May 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by ckape at 2:43 PM on May 16, 2019 [4 favorites]
I was a little disappointed that Jenna went from not wanting to kill to being an enthusiastic killer so easily. I know this is a comedy and not a drama, but a vampire who really doesn't want to kill faces a compelling dilemma and it would have suited Jenna's character well. When she was first bitten I thought, "Jeez, please don't make this some thing where it's 'empowering' for her to start killing boys," and indeed that's just how it went. She was always so sweet, and she went from criticizing Nadja's "abuse of power" (or however she phrased it) against that frat boy to murdering a guy without remorse like 10 minutes later. It might have worked better if they'd dropped in a line about the hunger for blood being too powerful to resist or if they'd suggested that vampirism turns a person evil, but instead we got this really nice, considerate person who just discovers that she likes killing and that about-face didn't feel earned to me.
It also lets Nadja off the hook a little too easily. She keeps fucking up people's lives on a whim, Jenna and Jeff and probably other people I'm forgetting, and then she just strolls away from the wreckage. (In this episode I think she was saying something about how she'd taught Jenna everything and now she'd never see her again, when they both got caught out in the sun. So even here she was ready to split on her "stupid little vampire baby" without remorse!) I've grown to kind of like Nadja and it was cute how she was acting like Jenna's doting mom, but I'd also like to see her face some consequences for her selfishness. She's probably the most destructive vampire in the house, her boredom driving her to do stuff to humans that's arguably worse than just killing them, but while she seems capable of some guilt we've never had a moment where she realizes she's gone too far.
I continue to miss the pathos from the film, where the bloodsuckers were killers and they had their petty squabbles but they also cared about each other and they had a sweet side. These vamps don't really seem to like each other very much, it's like they stay together out of habit more than anything else. I've grown to kind of like them as individuals but their group dynamic is depressing. There was a little moment here where Laszlo was trying to give Jenna a pep talk and Najda kind of squeezed his arm, like she was so pleased to see him be nice to Jenna, and it was a rare treat to see the characters bond like that. I'd like to see more of it.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:50 PM on May 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
It also lets Nadja off the hook a little too easily. She keeps fucking up people's lives on a whim, Jenna and Jeff and probably other people I'm forgetting, and then she just strolls away from the wreckage. (In this episode I think she was saying something about how she'd taught Jenna everything and now she'd never see her again, when they both got caught out in the sun. So even here she was ready to split on her "stupid little vampire baby" without remorse!) I've grown to kind of like Nadja and it was cute how she was acting like Jenna's doting mom, but I'd also like to see her face some consequences for her selfishness. She's probably the most destructive vampire in the house, her boredom driving her to do stuff to humans that's arguably worse than just killing them, but while she seems capable of some guilt we've never had a moment where she realizes she's gone too far.
I continue to miss the pathos from the film, where the bloodsuckers were killers and they had their petty squabbles but they also cared about each other and they had a sweet side. These vamps don't really seem to like each other very much, it's like they stay together out of habit more than anything else. I've grown to kind of like them as individuals but their group dynamic is depressing. There was a little moment here where Laszlo was trying to give Jenna a pep talk and Najda kind of squeezed his arm, like she was so pleased to see him be nice to Jenna, and it was a rare treat to see the characters bond like that. I'd like to see more of it.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:50 PM on May 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
i absolutely love this show. and i love Nadja. hooray for another year!
posted by lapolla at 5:31 PM on May 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by lapolla at 5:31 PM on May 16, 2019 [1 favorite]
I absolutely loved the look of proud joy on Nadja's face when they realized that Jenna's power was invisibilty and then their "Where's Jenna? There you are!" game before Jenna went off to kill the ska dude who'd spilled beer on her. And I love whatever it that Jenna turns into when she attempts bat form. I also thought it was really sweet that Nadja believed Jenna's erroneous knowledge that motorcycle helmets would protect them from the sun.
posted by TwoStride at 6:18 PM on May 16, 2019 [15 favorites]
posted by TwoStride at 6:18 PM on May 16, 2019 [15 favorites]
This episode takes the strange title of 'most heartwarming piece of vampire fiction I have ever consumed'.
posted by jurymast at 4:22 AM on May 17, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by jurymast at 4:22 AM on May 17, 2019 [4 favorites]
I was watching one of the late night shows recently and they were interviewing Beanie Feldstein about the new Booksmart movie. I cocked my head in confusion and then yelled at the screen, "it's the little stupid baby vampire who lives like a little chimney boy!"
When she learned to turn invisible and popped back doing Bela Lugosi vampire arms I could not stop laughing.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:04 PM on June 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
When she learned to turn invisible and popped back doing Bela Lugosi vampire arms I could not stop laughing.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 8:04 PM on June 6, 2019 [3 favorites]
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Two more episodes this season, and then we wait for the next -- FX renewed the show last week (May 7, 2019) for another 10 episodes.
posted by filthy light thief at 1:28 PM on May 16, 2019 [6 favorites]